Christmas

It has been a crazy 2+ weeks here.  With Dan home, I didn't want to do anything but spend family time with him.  And so it's what we did.  Dan and I were able to go out and see a couple of movies and go out to dinner....Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible, (I also saw Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and we even had a little overnight get away.  Shannon came...the girls LOVE her of course....and we had Christmas with our little...ok...not so little family. 

Dan was able to take the girls on daddy daughter dates...the girls really love that one on one time.  Dan is so good about wanting to spend time with his girls.  Abs was loving on him by the end of week one.  She was reaching out for him and slobbering him with "loves" (kisses) and he was loving it. 

Hannah and I picked up my sister on the 21st.  She is such a trooper and stayed up while my girls asked her five million questions and climbed all over her. 

She also was willing to watch all of them while Dan and I headed up to York the day after she arrived.  We have been up there before but Dan wanted to go up there again.  We both love it there...we had an early start so we arrived around 11 am.  We headed to the railway museum, ate some lunch in the town centre, walked around the shambles...it was a beautiful day...headed into the York Minister and looked around...checked into our super cute bed and breakfast and then headed back out and grabbed some Mexican food at the "Mehicana" and did some shopping and more walking.  It was so relaxed...it was so nice just to be able to hold his hand and talk.  I really missed my best friend. 

We came back Friday evening and Shannon and I had some major shopping to do which we wrapped that night until 2:30 am...thank goodness we don't wrap Santa presents.  I was a total procrastinator this year and so I was shopping for presents on the 23rd and what we were eating for our Christmas Day dinner on the 24th!  Shannon and I then picked up Nandos for dinner...we ate, opened up our pjs, went for a drive to look at lights, watched movies and then the girls went to bed. 

Christmas Day was fun...all up by 6:30 and the girls loved everything they received.  Phew...I was a little worried I was going to have some melt downs...roller blades didn't come this year...hello...we live in England...when and where are they going to roller blade outside?!  Madison was so excited about her secret password journal...Hannah her Figit...Bells her doll house and Abs her pink car. 

Dan sadly had to go back yesterday...27th....it was a night flight so we left our house around 5:30 pm.  None of the girls wanted to go so it was just the two of us.  The girls were a mess and we left Shannon with them.  I fell asleep on the way there for a little bit...I couldn't sleep the night before...but we arrived early and sat at the coffee shop and spent about 45 minutes before he had to start heading to the gate.  I was a wreck...I have been pretty strong and not one to cry during these last 5+ months of him being away...I think it all caught up with me yesterday.  I made it home through tears....Dan made it safely back to where work is.

Today was a challenge.  The girls were in moods I was not wanting to deal with.  Madison was being a pill....oh that girl...I love her but holy cow.  Hannah was a wreck...we both decided it would be best if she took a nap...she and I fell asleep in my bed.  Bells is looking for her dad and Abs I think was just reacting to the vibes people were giving off.  Shannon is a saint and let me sleep in this morning.  It was so nice...so nice.  Tonight Madison is sleeping in my bed after I gave her a hug and she cried about her dad...she's in my bed and fell asleep to me telling her stories about when she was little.  She doesn't really cry...it breaks my heart she's so sad.  It was so nice to spend Christmas with Dan.  I am very grateful...seriously...best present ever.  I just hated seeing him have to go again.  Like I keep telling the girls...the last 5 1/2 months went by pretty quickly...I'm sure the next 6+ will too.  Hopefully.